Explore the journey of Lebanon's new president, Joseph Aoun, from his military background and non-partisan stance to leading a nation in crisis.
Joseph Aoun, the discreet military leader now serving as Lebanon's head of state, maintains a subdued public image. Individuals familiar with him characterize him as practical, compassionate, and disinclined to align himself with any faction or express partisan viewpoints — an uncommon trait within Lebanon’s divided and deal-making political environment.
Bilal Saab, previously a Pentagon official and currently a senior managing director at the TRENDS US consulting agency, frequently engaged with Aoun while overseeing Washington's collaborative security efforts in the Middle East. He described Aoun as a “very pleasant individual, very empathetic, very cordial” who avoided political discourse “assiduously.”
“He was genuinely apolitical, showing no desire even to deliver speeches or engage with the media,” Saab stated. “His focus was on managing affairs, and his sole priority was commanding the Lebanese armed forces.”
This might position Aoun as an unusual choice for Lebanon’s president following his election on Thursday — concluding a vacancy in the role lasting over two years — yet Saab suggested it could be advantageous for the nation where incoming leaders typically insist on allocating favored positions to their supporters.
“He will not seek political advantages that virtually any other president would,” Saab noted.
Aoun, aged 61, originates from Aichiye, a Christian community within the Jezzine region of southern Lebanon. He enlisted in the military as an officer trainee in 1983, during Lebanon's fifteen-year internal conflict.
George Nader, a retired brigadier general who served alongside Aoun, recalled his composure under duress.
They fought together in the battle of Adma in 1990, a significant confrontation between the Lebanese armed forces and the Lebanese Forces militia during the war's concluding stages. Nader characterized it as among the most challenging engagements of his career.
“The degree of casualties was considerable, and I recall Joseph remaining composed and intent,” he said.
Aoun led the Lebanese army's 9th infantry brigade before his appointment as army chief in March 2017.
During his time as commander, he directed the army’s actions in response to a succession of crises, starting with an operation to expel Islamist combatants from the Islamic State group and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, who were then active in eastern Lebanon near the Syrian boundary. The army operated in conjunction with the Hezbollah militant organization.
HTS, in its current form, conducted a swift offensive that overthrew Syrian president Bashar Assad last month and has become the effective governing authority in Syria.
The Lebanese military navigated further difficulties, including addressing widespread anti-government demonstrations in 2019, the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and the fourteen-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that concluded with a ceasefire agreement in November.
The Lebanese military largely remained uninvolved in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, only returning fire on a few occasions when Israeli strikes impacted its locations. Numerous soldiers perished in aerial bombardments and artillery fire.
The military also suffered significantly when Lebanon's currency devalued starting in 2019, reducing a soldier's monthly income to the equivalent of under $100.
In a rare instance of political commentary, Aoun openly criticized the nation's leadership for its inaction on the matter in a speech in June 2021.
“What are you awaiting? What are your plans? We have repeatedly warned of the perils of this situation,” he stated. The United States and Qatar both provided subsidies for soldiers' salaries at different points.
Ed Gabriel, president of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a nonprofit focused on strengthening U.S.-Lebanon relations, mentioned meeting Aoun approximately seven years ago as he assumed command of the armed forces and “immediately considered him to be the best of those we had collaborated with.”
He depicted Aoun as a “very straightforward individual, very sincere” and a leader “who cultivates loyalty through his dedication.” These qualities aided Aoun in preventing widespread desertions during the economic downturn, when numerous soldiers had to resort to taking on additional employment, Gabriel indicated.
On a personal note, Gabriel described Aoun as unassuming and deeply devout. Like all Lebanese presidents and army commanders under Lebanon’s system of sectarian power distribution, Aoun is a Maronite Christian.
Aoun's profound faith "truly establishes the basis for ... his principles and ethics,” Gabriel noted.
In Aoun's hometown, inhabitants erupted in celebration following his election, setting off pyrotechnics, dancing in the streets, and distributing confectionery and alcoholic beverages.
“We are currently experiencing very challenging times, and he is the appropriate individual for this demanding period," said Claire Aoun, among those celebrating. “May divine guidance and support be with him, and may he reconstruct this entire nation for us.”
However, Aoun's election was not without dispute or universally accepted, even among fellow Christians.
One of the most influential Christian parties in the country, the Free Patriotic Movement of former President Michel Aoun — no relation to the current president — opposed his candidacy. And the Lebanese Forces party only granted him their support the evening before the election.
Some have contended that Joseph Aoun’s election contravened the law. The Lebanese constitution prohibits a serving army commander from being elected president, although this prohibition has been waived on multiple occasions. Some legislators were reluctant to do so again.
Some in Lebanon also viewed Aoun's election as the consequence of external influence — particularly from the United States and Saudi Arabia — and less the outcome of internal agreement. Hezbollah's conflict with Israel weakened the militant group, both politically and militarily, and left Lebanon needing international aid for recovery, which analysts suggested facilitated Aoun's election.
Independent lawmaker Halima Kaakour argued during Thursday's parliamentary session that “we cannot justify violating the constitution,” despite precedent. She directed a pointed remark at countries perceived as supporting Aoun's election, telling Western and Arab diplomats present, "No one should meddle in our internal affairs.”
Saab, the analyst, stated that portraying Aoun as a subordinate of Washington is inaccurate, although he acknowledged that no Lebanese president or prime minister is entirely free from foreign influence.
“The entire nation is deeply affected and vulnerable and subject to international powers," Saab observed. "But ... if you were to compare him to the leadership of Hezbollah being completely beholden to Iranian interests, then no, he is not comparable regarding the Americans.”